Style Pick of the Week: Filson Chambray Button-Down Shirt – The Best Men’s Chambray Shirt

The best men's chambray shirt for spring.

Has there ever been a better time to shop the best new men’s gear for spring from Filson? Not quite, if you ask me — it might only be early spring, and you very well might be experiencing one last winter storm, but stocking up on one of the best men’s shirts, to start, is a great way to get the ball rolling with a seasonal wardrobe refresh. Hopefully, you’re well-acquainted with what Filson brings to the table (and to your closet) — they already make one of the most affordable men’s workshirts, not to mention rugged work pants and plenty more, but the Filson Chambray Button-Down is cut from a different cloth, literally and figuratively. It’s a more casual, yet still rugged and functional, clothing option from the famed Pacific Northwest retailer, and in a new, breezy spring color like Rust Chambray, it blends modern good looks with classic style. It’s also a nice addition to Filson’s current lineup of rugged denim, from shirting to hard-wearing indigo selvage.

The Filson Chambray Button-Down checks all the right boxes if you want a versatile men’s shirt with, as Filson says, a “heritage of toughness” — chambray was a fabric, after all, found in workshirts and worn much like denim pants back in the day. Now, you can wear it with everything from tan chinos to indigo jeans — and it gets better from there.

The best chambray shirt for men.

The Filson Chambray Button-Down also comes in neat colors like a throwback-minded Navy Hickory Stripe, all the better to add some vintage style to your spring wardrobe (think of the old shirts and jackets worn by railroad engineers, for instance). Made from a midweight 5 oz. cotton chambray, it’s lightweight enough to wear on its own underneath your favorite chore coat or atop a rugged pocket tee or henley without overheating. It’s still March after all, so temperatures won’t be out of control quite yet. That gives you all the more reason to rock the Filson Chambray Button-Down from now on into summer, especially with the sleeves rolled up on a hot day.

In the meantime though, the Filson Chambray Button-Down is the right move to step into early spring, given the mid-weight design and its utility — it can be worn as a true workshirt, or more casually at the office underneath a spring-like blazer. And yet, when winter rolls around again, the Filson Chambray Button-Down is ready to be worn in proper, rugged fashion with one of the best shawl cardigans for men. You won’t regret picking up this go-anywhere, wear-with-anything shirt for the start of a new season, to say the very least.

Style Pick of the Week: Flint and Tinder Surplus Waffle Henley – The Rugged Spring Layer You Need Now

The best men's henley for spring.

Cruise through the pages of The Style Guide any day of the week, and you just might find me singing the praises of a rugged menswear must-have: One of the best men’s henleys is the right layer to take you from the depths of winter into spring, starting right now. A rugged thermal henley can work wonders in plenty of different ways in your wardrobe, be it as a base layer with a tough waxed trucker jacket and the best leather boots, or worn on its own with dark indigo jeans as temperatures (slowly) rise. That’s what we’ve got on our hands today with the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley, another A-plus menswear staple to carry you from early March into spring, properly outfitted.

It’s part of a crop of the best spring style essentials new into the well-stocked digital confines of San Francisco-based Huckberry, and your next spring look is going to better for it when you snag the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley. The Surplus Collection from F&T blends hard-wearing materials like Cordura nylon with cotton for stretch, durability and comfort, and it all comes together in this fittingly military-inspired henley. Note the custom F&T buttons, matching the shade of the henley for a low-key, functional finish. Of course, that’s not all you’ll find with one of the best henleys for men.

The best thermal henley for men.

The mini waffle texture on the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley adds interlocking, insulating warmth without adding bulk, and it still moves with you (not against you) thanks to the interwoven Cordura and cotton fabric blend. Colors like Twill, Olive and classic Black drive home the utilitarian nature of the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley — this is a henley meant for work and action, as well as lounging around the house with your favorite pair of weekend joggers. Huckberry notes this fabric is comfortable enough to sleep in (especially useful if you’re hitting the road this spring to a cabin or campsite), but it’s handy enough to layer up with atop your favorite flannel shirt when you step outside your lodgings.

Like most other Huckberry gear picks, the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley is priced right for the quality and utility — it’ll run you $68 at Huckberry. That’s certainly more than a bargain henley or a standard cotton undershirt, but this Huckberry henley has more substantial fabric and wearability than something on the cheaper side of the equation. A contrast placket and stitching really lends itself to the military surplus inspiration behind the rugged and durable Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley, which is never a bad thing to have in your wardrobe. Before you throw on your trusty spring chore coat or denim jacket, make sure the Flint and Tinder Surplus Long-Sleeve Henley is your base layer of choice.

Style Pick of the Week: Myles Apparel Tour Pants – The Best Performance Pants to Wear Anywhere

The best men's performance pants to buy now.

These days, there’s hardly a scenario where comfort and style don’t go hand in hand, seeing as you’re probably spending a bit less time at the office and a bit more time at home or on the road, dressed casually. This is where you need a pair of pants made with both utility and style in mind: A pair of pants like, well, the Myles Apparel Tour Pants, which just so happen to hit the sweet spot as far as the best performance pants for men are concerned. They’re a perfect hybrid when you need a classier option that sweatpants, yet want the comfort of a pair of stretch jeans or chinos.

In fact, the Myles Apparel Tour Pants — coming from a brand that already makes one of the best performance hoodies and offers up some of the best deals on performance gear — are akin to a more modern take on chinos or five-pocket pants, and this is very good news indeed for you, my friend. And if you’re still coming around on the idea of swapping out your classic blue jeans for a pair of stretch performance pants, know that you can try Myles Apparel for free at home for seven days before you buy. How’s that for practicality, functionality and style? Another bonus: You get free U.S. shipping on orders over $100.

The best stretch five-pocket performance pants for men.

The specs on the Myles Apparel Tour Pants are exactly what you need if you want to ease your way into looking sharp and yet feeling comfortable all day long. They’re made with a quick-drying stretch woven twill fabric, all the better to keep you cool on day hikes, your commute or long weekends on the road. It only gets better from there with the Myles Apparel Tour Pants, because — even more incredibly — they’re made to resist wrinkles and stains, not to mention water (thanks to the Durable Water Repellent finish). You’re also getting a plethora of pockets for everyday carry essentials with the Myles Apparel Tour Pants, including a hidden phone pocket and a zip passport or wallet pocket.

Plus, the front pockets themselves — cut with a slanted finish for easy access — are nicely oversized to allow for maximum EDC storage. Even the waistband on the Myles Apparel Tour Pants features a special touch: A stay-grip design that keeps your shirts tucked in for a clean finish. If it seems as if Myles Apparel thought of everything with these pants, it’s because, well, they certainly did. The Myles Apparel Tour Pants are also available in a whopping nine colors, all the better to suit any palette. And the quick-drying stretch fabric means these are an easily wearable pair of four-season pants, whether you rock ’em now with your favorite henley or whether you keep them close at hand to wear with an American-made Oxford shirt come spring and summer. The only thing you’ve got to worry about now? Picking out your favorite color.

Style Pick of the Week: DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans – Best Everyday Blue Jeans for Men

Best blue jeans for men.

If you’ve checked out the blog any time in recent months, you’re probably well aware of the fact that I’m a big advocate for the versatility of a pair of the best men’s jeans, yes? You just can’t beat the office-ready, date night-approved, wear-with-anything utility of classic men’s blue jeans, and that’s where DSTLD — our featured brand — comes into play (and into your wardrobe, naturally). But first, some quick news: Now through February 22nd, you can get 60 percent off everything sitewide with the code SALE60. 60 percent off some of the best men’s jeans? You better believe it. I’ve tried the brand over the years (in this roundup of the best rugged fall gear) as well as in recent weeks, and I’m here to say, if you want a new pair of the best jeans for men, the good folks at Los Angeles-based DSTLD have just what you need. It’s right in the name, after all: They’ve quite literally “distilled” your wardrobe into the best men’s basics around, including handsome cashmere sweaters, minimal tees and of course, the go-anywhere DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans. If I had to sum up my DSTLD review in one word, it’d be: Stellar.

What makes the DSTLD Athletic Taper Blue Jeans so stellar, specifically? For starters, they’re a classic silhouette made modern — like a more polished version of straight-leg jeans, hence the taper through the leg (yet room in the seat and thighs). They’re not rockstar skinny, they’re not overly baggy — yes indeed, the DSTLD Athletic Taper Blue Jeans fit just right, and the laundry list of positives (and positive DSTLD reviews) only grows from there in your search for the best jeans for men.

Best classic men's blue jeans.

The DSTLD Athletic Taper Blue Jeans boast a nice, sturdy-yet-stretchy fabric blend, thanks to the use of 94 percent cotton, five percent polyester and one percent elastane. I’m partial to the Dark Wash Resin, a rich indigo dye that’ll only get better with age. And yet, for fans of other shades of denim, the crisp and classic DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans also come in colors like Faded Black and Jet Black for more variety. Whatever you’re looking for in your new favorite pair of jeans, be it a crisp, slim pair of black jeans to wear to a rock concert, or sharp blue jeans you can wear to the office with an Oxford shirt, the DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans are the pair for you.

The well-designed, well-made DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans will set you back $128, an agreeable price compared to other premium men’s jeans brands (like another personal favorite, Mott & Bow). Keep in mind that the brand also offers complementary picks to go along with your purchase of some of the best jeans for men, like buttery-soft tees and one supremely cool, rugged chambray shirt. Best of all, the DSTLD Athletic Taper Jeans are the sort of jeans you can buy now and then wear into spring (and summer, if you’re bold). If you want to refresh your denim rotation, turn to DSTLD, folks.

Style Pick of the Week: Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater – The Best Men’s Winter Cardigan to Buy Now

The most demanding winter weather calls for the most rugged winter menswear possible, does it not? Enter the latest and greatest from Taylor Stitch, the instantly iconic, highly durable and highly stylish Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater. It’s one of the best men’s sweaters you can score right now, and you should act quickly if you hope to make it yours. Plenty of Taylor Stitch reviews will tell you all about how the brand excels at making gear across every season, be it one of the best winter sportcoats or an everyday flannel shirt you can wear to the office, to brunch or to the bar practically any time of year. But back to the Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater, just one of the many excellent Taylor Stitch sweaters you can get your hands on right now. Why this sweater? As usual, I’m glad you asked.

The eternally cool Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater channels the kind of throwback looks that made shawl cardigans such a hit back in the days of Steve McQueen, with a beefed-up collar for warmth and protection from cold breezes. This sweater is as functional as it is stylish, which is saying a heck of a lot considering the Natural Marled color (it also comes in equally rich, seriously cool Marled Navy). Yes indeed, the Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater is a keeper, to say the least.

In fact, to this menswear writer, you could hardly pick a better piece of knitwear with which to build a winter ensemble than the Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater. The textured seed-stitch cotton knit gives it weight and heft without going overboard, meaning you could wear the handsome, rugged Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater atop everything from a Taylor Stitch henley to a classic Taylor Stitch shirt (the brand was founded with a focus on shirting, after all). No matter how you choose to wear the Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater — perhaps casually on the weekends with the Taylor Stitch Apres Pants or to the office or out on a date with a pair of tailored chinos — it’s going to go the distance while looking great and keeping you plenty warm.

Light horn buttons and those throwback-inspired color options ensure the Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater adds plenty of style points to any fall or winter look. You should even keep it handy as a house sweater on chilly spring days, but right now, the unbeatable and timeless Taylor Stitch Crawford Sweater is going to get the job done handily this winter. Bundle up with this sweater and you won’t miss a beat this season.

Style Pick of the Week: Buck Mason Donegal Cable Crew – Most Rugged Sweater for Winter

Zoomed product image

There’s never a bad time to bolster your winter menswear rotation with one of the best winter sweaters, and if you can embrace a piece that’s both classic and yet decidedly on trend at the same time, then I say that’s all the better. Enter the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew, a burly and hard-wearing sweater to rival any one of the best men’s sweaters you might already have in your closet. Fisherman sweaters have never really gone out of fashion, serving as a classic reminder of when such sweaters were worn on the high seas and knitted primarily in the Aran Islands.

These days, brands like Buck Mason — already purveyors of one of the best men’s winter parkas and some of the best winter menswear deals — use modern fabric blends (like merino wool with nylon) to give sweaters like the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew some added punch. The result is a durable and dependable sweater that looks every bit like the classic icons your grandfather (and Hemingway) appreciated so much, yet with performance for 2022 in mind. The thick knit of this sweater is primed for frigid temperatures these days, and at a sub-$200 price, it’s not hard to see why the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew has been a hot seller.

Zoomed product image

The textured fabric and rugged knit of the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew make it as inspired a sweater as you’re apt to find these days, the kind you can easily wear with other favorites from Buck Mason, naturally. Take the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew and pair it with slim, dark Buck Mason men’s jeans and your favorite pair of leather boots for a tried-and-true combination that works at the office on a casual Friday or for a weekend brewery trip. Better still, the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew works when worn with an Oxford shirt (again, at the office) or atop — or beneath! — a more rugged flannel workshirt. It should be cut with enough room to layer, which is a great thing considering it’s knit thickly enough that you’ll want to reach for it when winter is at its worst.

The Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew features hand-linked panels, a careful process that extends the life of the garment beyond just sewing these panels. All in all, it’s precise-yet-rugged design touches that make the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew one of the best men’s winter sweaters, far and away. It’s pricier than your standard V-neck or crewneck sweatshirt (the Buck Mason Natural Donegal Cable Crew retails for $198 at Buck Mason), but it’ll go a long way towards making your winter that much warmer and more stylish. Consider adding it — or any one of Buck Mason’s stylish sweaters for men — to your wardrobe before it sells out.

Style Pick of the Week: Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic Watch – The Best Investment-Level Watch to Shop Now

I’d wager that if you’re reading this blog, you’re willing to do your research when it comes to investing in, for example, one of the best men’s watches from a brand like Shinola, right? In fact, I’d bet you’re willing to dig in and do the work when it comes to tracking plenty of the best gear for men, be it finding the best leather boots for men or layering up with a best-selling men’s shirt jacket. This approach will certainly serve you well when it comes to finding and selecting the perfect watch to wear on your wrist every day, with just about every single ensemble you can dream up. Allow me, then, in that case, to introduce you to the iconic, expertly crafted, dressy-yet-rugged Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic, an exceptional watch with a price tag to match (it retails for $1,650 at Shinola, as it were).

Now, if you’ve read the blog, you know that I’ve shared a Shinola review or two singing the praises of the Detroit-based brand. That trend isn’t going to let up any time soon. The Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic, like all Shinola men’s watches, is made with exacting attention to detail and incredible materials befitting of the higher price tag (most Shinola watches for men retail for under $1,000).

While with some luxury watches, you’re really paying for the designer name as much as the watch itself, the Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic defies convention and packs in a whole lot of excellent technical specs to go along with the now-iconic Shinola name. Designed as an homage to the 1920s and Michigan rumrunners during Prohibition, it’s an elegant yet hard-wearing watch that looks incredible and performs just as nicely. The Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic features an intricate 26-jewel automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve. This is a very good thing: The power reserve allows the watch to keep running accurately even when you’re not wearing it, because an automatic watch like this one winds according to the wearer’s wrist movement. In short. the Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic, without getting overly technical, is carefully designed, hard-working and supremely stylish.

About those style points, though. The Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic features a handsome brushed bronze case and a visually striking, slightly larger 43mm case diameter. That means it stands out more on your wrist and is less of a dress watch, and more of a watch to wear with rugged menswear like one of the best men’s chambray shirts, dark blue denim and brown leather boots. Of course, the Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic looks great with just about anything you pair it up with (even a worsted wool suit!, That’s true whether you rock it with the additional leather strap (shown here) or the khaki nylon field watch strap. In either iteration, the Shinola Bronze Monster Automatic is a wearable work of art befitting of the heftier price tag. It’s one of the best watches for men and one of the best investment-level timepieces to consider adding to your collection.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt – The Best Men’s Winter Sweatshirt

Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt in Antique Grey Mix

Is there any designer out there that does it better than Todd Snyder when it comes to taking classic menswear staples and then making them fresh and modern? It’s up for debate, but there’s no question that with the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt (part of the excellent Todd Snyder + Champion partnership), he’s done it once again. For nearly a decade now, the Iowa-born Snyder (one of my favorite designers and one of the country’s best menswear designers) has worked with top brands like Champion to redefine the menswear game, turning once-purely functional, rugged pieces like the crewneck sweatshirt into bona fide style statements. Now, I’ve written plenty of Todd Snyder reviews on sweatshirts just like this, but it’s always worth revisiting as things get better each year in terms of style and design.

That’s what makes the Todd Snyder + Champion collaboration so cool to see, given that it results in pieces you can wear far beyond the confines of the gym, like the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt. The specs are an homage to past, highly durable crewneck sweatshirts, including the 18oz. French terry fabric that’s been garment-dyed for extra softness. It’s also the perfect sort of layer to wear with anything, including a rugged Todd Snyder waxed trucker jacket or Todd Snyder’s quilted shirt jacket — it only gets better from there, though.

Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt in Dark Cobalt

The Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt has plenty of features to love, including added visual details like a chest pocket (added by Snyder himself in the original design), plus the contrast V-stitching at the neck for both durability and an old-school throwback touch. Raglan sleeve stitching is also a throwback Champion design touch that helps cement just how cool the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt really is — what’s not to love about a throwback approach? The hits keep coming, so to speak, with the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt, which is available in a stunning and highly versatile 12 colors.

That means there’s a shade of the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt to match with just about anything in your wardrobe, be it laidback Todd Snyder sweatshorts in the warmer months or hard-wearing Japanese selvedge denim in the colder months. The Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt is also fairly priced at under $100, making it a more-than-reasonable purchase when you consider that you can rock it under everything from a flannel shirt to a winter herringbone blazer. For classic style in casual and even business casual situations, make the Todd Snyder Midweight Pocket Sweatshirt your go-to winter style move.

Style Pick of the Week: Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots – The Best Classic Boots for Men

1000 Mile Plain-Toe Original Boot, Brown, dynamic

If you’ve found yourself shopping for or wearing a pair of the best men’s boots at any point in the past decade or so, there’s more than a good chance you’ve looked into (or currently own!) the utterly classic, rugged-as-can-be Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots. There’s a ton to love about these rugged, durable leather boots, which themselves are a contender for the best classic boots for men. And seeing as it’s Christmas Day, well, what better time to shop these boots and treat yourself than right now? You very well might be dealing with inclement winter weather as we speak, and while the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots aren’t typically thought of as traditional snow boots like the L.L. Bean boots to which you might be used to wearing, they’re a mighty fine pair of rugged and utterly dependable, stylish leather boots to wear as often as you can (holiday and dressy winter style situations included).

Perhaps you’re already well-aware of the prowess of Wolverine’s boots, including the Michigan-based brand’s more tailored efforts at making some of the best Chelsea boots for men, for instance. Of course, the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots are much more rugged but no less wearable in a wide range of style scenarios, be it at the office (with tan chinos, a chambray shirt and a shawl cardigan) or at your favorite brewery (with some of the best men’s blue jeans and your favorite henley, naturally. Yes indeed, the Wolverine 1000 Mile Original Boots can do it all.

1000 Mile Plain-Toe Original Boot, Cordovan No. 8, dynamic

It’s not hard to see, in my estimation, why the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots are so essential and much-loved, and a truly timeless style classic, at that. Let’s start with the materials and the craftsmanship, naturally. Rich Horween leather is used to make up the bulk of these boots, which blend the best of handmade skill with rugged durability for a pair of boots unlike anything you’ve ever worn. Sure, that means the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots might be a bit stiff out of the box, but for my money’s worth, this Wolverine review of sorts is nothing but positive. In a word, the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots will only get better (and even cooler-looking) the more you wear them. The Vibram heel drives home that long-lasting dependability, and the fact that the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots are modeled after a 1914 pair from the legendary bootmaker is too historic and neat to pass up.

You can get the downright iconic Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots in four beautiful shades of handsome Horween leather, the kind that stands out stylishly underneath rich indigo blue jeans or chinos in equal measure. And while they’re fit for work or play, they’re a reliable pair of boots to wear any day of the week, and with anything from trusty work pants and a waxed trucker jacket to olive chinos. Buy ’em now, get a ton of wear out of them this winter, and be sure to rock the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots right on into spring. They’re your new favorite pair of boots.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket – The Best Shirt Jacket for Winter to Shop Now

Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket in Grey Donegal

If you’ve been searching for one of the best winter layers and you haven’t yet found one, now is the right time to stock up on, well, one of the best shirt jackets for men. It’s mid-December, after all, and it’s time to amp up that outerwear rotation in a big way. That doesn’t mean reverting to a bulky parka just yet, though. And that’s why we’re here, of course, telling you all about the best men’s shirt jacket. It’s within your reach, and the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket is the proper pick for today, this weekend and the rest of winter.

It’s the sort of rugged wardrobe upgrade that the Iowa-born designer specializes in, be it finding a way to make the humble chambray shirt into the best men’s chambray shirt, or turning the classic waxed trucker jacket into one of the best men’s jackets, period. It’s true, and if you’ve never shopped Todd Snyder, then right now is actually an ideal time to start. But back to what makes the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket so exceptional. It all starts with, naturally, the fabric, which is a donegal wool blend available in a plethora of rich colors (more on that in a second).

Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket in Wool Tartan

In short, the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket is the perfect blend of premium style and materials, plus the rugged functionality you need in a winter layer. It’s lined with Italian nylon and features a poly filling, all the better for added warmth on the go. But it’s the exterior wool-blend fabric that really sets the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket from the pack, making this shirt jacket more similar to a traditional winter blazer than an overly technical shirt jacket. It’s the Grey Donegal wool option that should prove most versatile when you want to score a shirt jacket (or “shacket”) you can dress up with tailored charcoal wool trousers, perhaps atop a Todd Snyder turtleneck for an eye-catching blend of high-low style. Yes indeed, this quilted shirt jacket is both technically savvy and stylish in equal measure. It could just be your new favorite winter layer, whether worn with a thermal shirt, a rugged henley or an Oxford shirt.

Beyond just the dependable style of the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket‘s Grey Donegal option, it’s also available in the eye-catching Tartan Plaid as shown above. But if you want the most bang for your buck (this shacket retails for $598 at Todd Snyder), then Grey Donegal is your best bet. Either way, the Todd Snyder Italian Quilted Shirt Jacket is one of the coolest, most reliable and rugged layers on the market. Happy shopping, my friends.